Fourth, some parts of Scripture are missing.
Fourth, some parts of Scripture are missing.
§ 360. (IV) “In most Greek codices many genuine parts of Scripture are missing, such as the account of the adulteress in John 8, the last chapter of Mark, the beautiful testimony of the Trinity, and other things.” We respond. We discussed the last chapter of Mark in detail in our Harmonia resurrectionis. Also, we had a detailed discussion of 1 John 5 (“There are three who bear witness in heaven”) in our Disput. prior. on this passage. Therefore it remains for us to say something about the account of the adulteress in John 8. (1) We admit that this account is not contained in some Greek editions and that in some it was added at the end. (2) It also is not extant in the Syriac paraphrase. ** (At one time it did not appear, but now it has been published by the work of Jacobus Usserius, archbishop of Armagh.) ** (3) Nonnus did not paraphrase it. (4) Chrysostom and Theophylact make no mention of it in its ordinary place.
However, these things do not yet make it possible for us to remove this account from canonical Scripture. This is because: (1) It is contained in the oldest and most-approved editions. Robertus Stephanus discovers it in the two oldest Greek editions. (2) Chrysostom mentions it, and Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine explain it. (3) It contains nothing contrary to the analogy of faith. (4) Augustine thinks that “John actually did write this account, but cruel husbands took care to expunge it so that they might kill their adulterous wives” (De adulter. conjug. ad Pollent., bk. 4, c. 7). (5) The reason why it is not found in all the codices is considered more likely to have been what Papias (according to Eusebius, Hist. eccles., bk. 3, c. 35) writes: “This account was transferred from the Gospel to the Hebrews” and that this was an apocryphal Gospel. However, the traditions of Papias, inasmuch as he was a Chiliast, are not of great importance.